Will deet hurt my baby?

Yes: Deet (n, n-diethyl-m-toluamide), the common insect repellent, is promptly absorbed through the skin. There have been several reported cases of toxic encephalopathy (brain toxicity) in children from deet exposure.

Yes: Deet particularly at higher concentrations can be toxic to infants and young children if put directly on the skin. Deet may be sprayed on the clothes, but the best advise is prevention: keep the baby inside during the hours of dawn and dusk and cover the baby as to avoid contact with shrub and grasses in oder to avoid tick bites.

Risks: It all depends upon concentration. Low concentration (10% or less) for infants 2 months of age or older appears to be safe (http://goo.Gl/gr5mm) . In the U.S. Repellent products must stage any age restriction. Other insect repellents aren't necessarily safer. Prevention of insect bites is very important. A good discussion on this can be found on the cdc website at: http://goo.Gl/yrnm6.